Furnace for burning blast-furnace gases.



, I H. E, PARSO'N. FUENAI'JE FOR BURNING BLAST EUBNAGB GASES.

APPLIOATZGN FILED FEB. 24, 1906.

QG QO 0006000 000000 5000000 (300900 (3000000 09000-0 0 000000 000000000000 000000 000000 0000 006000 16 fa Pa n90 n H, E, PAMON.PUBNAGEPOR'BURME BLAST FURNACE GASES.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1906.

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HENRY nnwm ransom, or nnw rerun, n.

"r1, nssren'ca 'rc mason nanumcrunine- COMPANY, OF ETEW YORK, IN. "81,A. CGRFQEEEIQN 03 NEW YORK.

FURNACE FEE BUBIJXE? BLAST-EWRNACE GAfiES 958,429. Original applicationfiled June 30', 1905,

fipeclficatlon of Letters Eatent. Pghg fipgd May 1'? 1916.

Serial No. 267,823. Divided and 1866. Serial No. 302566.

this application filed February 24,

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Hnnnr Enwin Pen.-

a citizen 'of the- United States of America, and resident of the city,county, and State of New York, have invented cer-' tain new and usefulImprovements in Furnaces for Burning Blirst-Furnace Gases, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a means for operating a boiler or other heatingfurnace in conjunction with a blast furnace, so that the gases generatedin the blast furnace may.

be economically consumed in the heating furnace to'serve as fuel for thelatter.

The invention has particular reference to means for enriching the blastfurnace gases;

for regulating the feed of gases from the blast furnace to the boilerfurnace, and for regulating the temperature of the boiler furnace sothat the steam pressure in the boiler may be high and uniform in spiteof the necessarily varying and uncertain mixture of hydrocarbons, carbonmonoxid and other constituents of the blast furnace gases.

Boiler furnaces are necessary adjuncts to blast furnaces. The boilerfurnace must .supply the steam pressure or power for operating thetwyers or blasts of the blast furnace, as well as the power foroperating the lifts and all the numerousniovable parts used inconnection with, or forming part of, the blast furnace. Alargevpercentage of this boiler ower is, however, ordinarily absorbed bt e blowers for operating the twyers an the steam used for this purposeshould be substantially uniform in pressure if the blastfurnace is tooperate properly. The most convenient and natural fuel for the boiler,furnace isthe gas which passes 1ng value.

from the stack of the blast furnace. This gasis, however, low andvariable in heat- At times its percentage of those constituent gaseswhich have a moderate heating Value, fairly large; but at other times,during the reduction process which is taking place in the blast furnace,the blast furnace gases are extremely vlow in heating value. For thisreason blast furnace gas, although the cheapest and most convenient fuelavailable for the boiler furnace, is ordinarily not relied upon or usedto any exclusive extent for-this purpose;

. One object of my invention is a means whereby the blast furnace gas.15 enriched "was a suliicient amount of hydrogen, provided by thedecomposition of steam in the presence of incandescent carbon, to trans:

form it, in efiect, into a producer gas; and whereby it is admixed witha sufiicient amount of oxygen, in the form of air, to bring aboutperfect combustion of the mixture at an extremely high tempei'ature inthe boiler furnace.

A. nezitand essentialfeature of the in: vention is a means for producingin the boiler furnace a temperature sufdciently high to ignite theincoming mixture of blast fugnace gas, steam, and air, and to dccomposethe steam to liberate the hydro en. The ignition of the incoming gases1- e set in the first instance through a preliminary heating of theboiler furnace by means of grate fires located therein; but when thegases have been so ignited, this function of the grate tires is at anend, for the incoming gas is then i nited by the burning as already inthe Iurnace, and by certaln'i ighly heated refractory surfacesagainstwhich the ncoming gaseousmlxture is projected.

A third, and most important, feature ofthe invention is a means forregulating the temperature of the boiler furnace since, withoutregulation, thistemperature must vary with the quality and volume of theblast furnace gas. This feature of the invention 1 efi'ect by means ofthe grate.

fires above referred to. These fires are controlled from a regulator,111 turn controlled by the boiler pressure, 'so that. when boilerpressure drops, dueto the drop. in' the heating value of the blastfurnace gas, the regulator acts to. blow the grate fires more stronglyto increase the heating efiect of the latter. The increasedtemperatureof the solid. fuel fire, when thus blown, counteracts thediminished efficiency of the blast furnace gases, until the quality ofthe latter again improves in quality or volume; whereupon the regulatoragain acts, this time to shut down the blast to the grate fires, thusreducing the heating effect of the latter to counteract the increase inheat from the burning blast furriace gases. Grate fines have heretoforebeen used in conjunction with the burning of blast furnace gases, withthe object of adding to the small, and in itself insuficient, amount ofheat derived from the gases, and to the end that the total of heat mightbe high enough to assure the proper boiler power..

. in volatile matter, suchas anthracite coal,

coke, or coke braize, for my grate fires. The lower grade of such fuelsmay be successfully used if a blower of proper type is em ployed for thegrate fire blast. Preferably I do use suchlow grade fuels because oftheir cheapness.

The regulator preferably employed by me for controlling the blast toLtheauxiliary grate fireis of the type described in my United States PatentNo; 7 84,121, dated March 7 1905. A regulator of this type is indicatedon the drawipgs forming part of the present application, and itsoperation will hereinafter bebriefly set forth.

To further control the combined operation of the boiler furnace andblast furnaces, I pr'ovidea 'regulato"r adapted to automaticallyaccelerate'the feed of the blast furnace gases when the heating value ofthe same 5 dro 's, due to change in character or volume of be gases; andvice versa, to automaticall decrease the rate of feed of the gaseswljibn the heating value of the same increases. This regulator causesmore of the i 40 blast furnace as to enter the boiler furnace ity of thegas is poor, and less to enter the boiler furnace when its quality isgood. It efiect's itsv purpose by controlling one or more of the blastsof steam to the boilerfurnace. It may be the same regulator whichcontrols the grate fire blast hereinbefore referred to, or it may be anindependent regulator.

The apparatus in which the invention is embodied comprises a deflectingsurface of refractory, material which becomeshighly heated in theoperation of the boiler furnace, and serves to deflect, mix, and raise-to when the qua a high temperature the incoming gaseous,

mixture which is directed against it; and

it serves furthermore to cause to mix and burn with the gases from thegrate fires. The relative arrangement of the grate fires, the deflector,and the blowers, as well as certain. other details of structure to behereinafter specified, are important features'conducive to thesuccessful operation 'of the invention.

Having outlined the objects and nature of my invention, I will nowdescribe in detail these gases 4 and in connection with the accompanyingdrawings an apparatus embodyin the same. Figure'l is a side elevation ofthe front portion of the boiler furnace, partly in section, showing itsconnection with the blast furnace. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of theboiler furnace taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. Fig. '3 is a-sectional planof the boiler furnace taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is avertical section of the boiler furnace taken on the line .ll,0f' Fig. 2,looking from rear to front. Fig. 5 is an end view of the casing 5.Referring to the drawings, the blast furnace 1 is shown as having itsstack 1 connected to a subterranean conduit2. The conduit 2 connectswith a vertical tube 3 a d through the latter with a casing 5, ich opensat its front end into the fire box of the boiler furnace. A valve 4controls .the' flow of the gas from the stack of the blast furnace tothe casing 5. Within the a ng 5, (see Figs. 2- and 3) are three T shapedair conducting inlet tubes 6, the cross arm of each T opening at bothends 6 through the casing and communicating with the outside air, andthe other arm of the T extending longitudinally of the casing parallelto the gas conducting tubes, and

terminating at or near the point where the casing opens into the firebox. The'inle'ts 6' to the tubes 6 may be adjusted to regulate the fiowof air therethrough by dampers 25 of any suitable design, as shown inFig. 1.

The casing 5 is also furnished-with a supplemental valve 26 in the outerend 27 of the same (see Fig. 5) of any suitable type to deliver, whenrequired, additional air independent of the air inlet tubes 6. Alsowith- 'm the casing 5, below the level of the air slightly forward oftubes 6, and projectin the rear ends of the latter are two steam blowers7 connected bya pipe 7 to a pipe 1 1, which leads to the boiler. Theblowers 7 serve to force the blast furnace gases from the conduit 2 andthe into the fire-box. The steam thus injected,

when decomposed in the fire-box supplies hydrogen to ,be burned with theother gases, and the air through the inlet 6 supplies the of the gaseousmixture.

Opposite the inletfrom the casing 5 to air from the pipes 6 1 necessaryoxygen to eifect the combustion 5. Between the sloping wall 9 and theside walls of the furnace on either side of the sloping wall are grates'11,. substantially horizontal. These grates at their rear extend behindthe wall 9, as shown in Fig. 2, and at their forward ends are separatedfrom the. wall 9 by vertical walls 10. The

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'serve guide the gases from the I grate fires upward so that they do notcome Into contactv with the ases from the casing 5, until the latter avebeen rejected a ainst the wall 9. The wall 9, which in the o ration ofthe furnaceis maintained at a high heat, serves to deflect andeau'setobe mlxed the gases from the casing 5, and also deflects these. gasesinto the gases from the grate fires, so that 'a substantiallyhomogeneous mixture of burning gases is ob- .tained. A blast of air andsteain'is' supplied to tl1eash-pits 11' (see Fig; v2), below the ates11; The blast is ri'marily injected mtothe ash-pit of one 0 the gratesand a part thereof then passed 'to the ash-pit of into the outer air.Communicating with the interior of, the casing 12 'at a point inter theother grate by a" pipe 16, whiclr extends cross-wise of thefurnacennde'l the wall 9,

and connects the two pits, as shown in Fig. 3. To provide for thisblast,a blower casmg 12 (see Fig.3) opens at one end'into one of the ash-pits, and at its other enol 12 opens mediate the ends of the latter andoutside of theside wall of the furnace is a steam supply pipe 13. This.pipe as shown in Fig.

,3 plasses first rearward along the outside of the furnace, ;thenthrough the outside wall and through a portion of the bridge-wall, thenstraight forward under the rear portion of the sloping wall 9 andthrough one of thewalls 10" and the front yvall of the 'furnaceSto thepoint '13", where it joins the steam pipe 113cm the boiler.

The grate fires are fed through doorsf15 in the front wall ofthefurnace, 'andthe ashes arched chambers 20 (see Ei'gs. 3 and "4) sepaarated by brick partitions 21., The floor 22 from the ash-pitspll areremoved through doors 15. below the doors 15 in th'e tront wall of thefurnace. I

The combustion chamber'to the rear of the bridge-wall 17 comprises aseries of into a narrow vd-tical chamb er 23, E Xt'ending through oneside wall of the furnaiceis a blower casing 19, which at its inner endopens into thechamber 23, at the bottom of the latter, and at its outerend 24, opens into the outer air. A steam blast is admitted to. thecasing 24 by a steam pipe 18, which as" shown in Fig. 3, oon'nects withthe steam pipe 13, and through the latter with the steam pipe 14 fromthe boiler.

For the purpose hereinbefo're set forth of maintaining uniform steampressure in the boiler, the steam'pipe' 'l il fwhich supplies 1 steam tothe grate fire blowers and also to the blowers .7 for feeding oraccelerating the blast furnace gas, is connected with the boiler througha valve 28 (see Fig. 1).. This valve is similar to the one fully setforth and described in my Patent No. 142,128, to.

which reference is made in'my Patent No. Y

7 84,121. The stem 29 of the valve 28 is connected to a piston 30working in a cylinder 31. The cylinder 31 connects by a steam pipe 32 toa port opening into the cylinder 33 'of a regulator 34. Alsocommunicating with the cylinder 33 of the regulator is a steam ipe 35which is in direct communica tion with the condenser water'underpressure from the boiler. From the cylinder 33 of the regulator thereis, an outlet ort' to an exhaust pipe 36, .1Tl1avalve-37 verticalmovement in the cylinder 33 of the aving regulator controls the port ofthe pipe 32 t0 the cylinder 31 of the valve '28, and also the port ofthe exhaust pipe 36. In; one positionof the valve 37 water under boilerpressure through the pipe 35 is free to ass through the cylinder 33 ofthe regulator into the pipe 32, and through the latter to the cylinder31. The pressure in the steam pipe 14 land in the pipe 32 is thereforesubstantially the same. -The piston '30, however," in

' the cylinder. 31 is of greater area than the valve2 8, so that, whenthe pipe 32 is in open communication with the pipe 35 by means of thepassages around the valve 37, the greater I cross-section of the piston30 causes the valve 28 to be held on its seat against the pressure'ofthe, steam in the pipe let from the boiler. At this time therefore nosteam can pass through the valve 28 by way of the pipe 14 to the blowersof the boiler furnace.

The stem 38 of the valve 37 ofthe regu- I lator is attached to adiaphragm 39 mounted at the base of the regulator cylinder. Pivoted at40 is a lever 41, one arm 42 of which is also connected to the diaphragm39, and the other arm of which is weighted as at 43. So long as theboiler pressureis maintained at its proper point, the water under boilerpressure through the pipe 35, acting on the diaphragm 39, holds thevalve 37 in its downward position, at which' time the port of the steampipe 32 is open, and the water under boiler pressure from the pipe 35 isfree to pass by way of the steam passages around the valve 37 into thepipe 32 to hold the valve 23 on its seat, and thus to prevent passage ofsteam through the-pipe 14 to the blower-s1 When, however, the rate ofconsumption of steam exceeds the rate of supply'of-the same,'the boilerpressure falls, and on 'reachinga predetermined -minimiun point, theweight 43, acting through the valve stem 38, raises the valve 37to;c1ose the port of the pipe 32 to the interior of the cylinder 33, andopens the pipe 32 by way &

of a bypass in the valve 37 to the exhaust blowers. The blowers actingupon the grate.

fire then raise the temperature of the boiler furnace, and the boilerpressure until the latter, acting through the pipe 35, again depressesthe diaphragm against the action of the weight 33 and moves the valve 37to open the portto the pipe 32 and to close the port ofthe exhaust pipe36. hen, reason of-the absorption of heat by the boiler the steampressure again begins to drop, the above cycle of operations is againrepeated.

These adjustments are made in practice with great sensitiveness, andregulation within two or three pounds of'steam pressure is permanentlyand automatically se cured. By these means the temperature of the boilerfurnace remains almost constant,

,no matter what variation of load them may be; and the efliciency of theboilers and of the gaseous fuel and solid fuel is thereby greatlyincreased. This automatic regulation also takes care of the fluctuationin quantity and quality of the blast furnace gases, because, when thesegases are freely flowing and of good quality, they need no accelerationand noadditional solid fuel fire, but as they deteriorate in theserespects the apparatus'mentioned is ready to take up the loss.

The advantages of the blowers 7 in connection with the regulatorjas ameans for .automatically boosting or accelerating the feed of the blastfurnace gases, if necessary, have been pointed out. These blowers as ameans for feeding' the blast furnace gases have, however, the furtheradvantage over the means heretofore used for this purpose, in that backpressure which, from time to time results from the variable anduncertain feed of the gases, as blowing engines ordinarily used, isovercome by these steam blowers, because with the steam blowers thereis, whenever required, a ositive suction upon the blast furnace gas ine.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for burning gaseous fuel in combination with solidfuel, a fluid heating furnace 1a conduit for the aseous fuel having aninlet into the fluid eating furnace; a support Within the furnace forsolid fuel fire, a blowerfor the solid fuel fire opening into thefurnace at a point to direct its blast through-the solid fuel fire' whenthe latter is on its support, and means controlled automatically by thefluctuations of pressure of the fluid heated by the furnaceautomatically I to increase the blast through the blower when thepressure falls below a predetermined amount, and to decrease the blastthrough the blower .when the pressure rises above apredetermined amount.

2. In an apparatus for burning gaseous fuel'i'n combination with solidfuel, a fluid heating furnace, a conduit for the gaseous fuel having anoutlet into the fluid heating furnace; a blower for forcing the gaseousfuel into the-furnace, and means automatically controlled by thefluctuations of. pressure of the fluid'heated by the furnace to increasethe blast through the blower when the blower for forcing the gaseousfuel into the furnace, a support within the furnace for a solid fuelfire, a blower for the solid fuel tire opening into the furnace at apoint to direct its blast through the solid fuel fire when the latter ison its support, and means automat ically controlled by the fluctuationsin pres? sure of the fluid heated by. the furnace to increase the blastthrough the blowers so as to s raise the temperature of the solid-fuelfire, and to accelerate the feed of the aseous fuel when the pressure ofthe heats fluid falls' below a predetermined amount, and to decrease theblast through the blowers to lower the temperature of the solid fuelfire and decrease the rate of feed of the gaseous fuel when the pressureof the heated fluidnrises above a predetermined amount.

4. In an apparatus for burning in combi. nation blast furnace gases andsolid fuel, a blast furnace and a boilerfurnace; a con-- duit for theblast furnace gases from the blast furnace into the boiler furnace,.a ane port within the boiler furnace for a solid fuelhre, a blower for thesolid fuel fire,- opening into the boiler furnace at'a chat to directits blast through'the solid uel fire when the latter/is on its support,and means controlled automatically by the boiler pressure to increasethe blast from the blower when the boiler pressure drops a predeter--,mined amount, and to decrease the blast rises'a, predetermined amount.

5.. In an apparatus for burningih combifrom the blower when the boilerpressure nation blast furnace uses and solid fuel, a

blast furnace and a. oiler furnace, a conduit for the blast furnacegases from the blast furnace into the boiler furnace, asupport withinthe boiler furnace for asohd fuel fire, a blower-"for the solid fuelfire, 1

opening into the boiler furnace at a when the lattenis/orr its support,a regulator oint to .direct its blast through the solid uel-fire rpredetermined amount,

osaeae automatically controlled by the boiler steam pressure to increasethe blast from the blowerwhen the boiler pressure drops a and todecrease the blast from the blower when the boiler pressure rises apredetermined amount.

6; A furnace for burning gaseous and solid fuel in combination, hayingan'inlet opening for the gaseous fuel in the front wall thereof, abridgewall, a wall spaced 7 from an inside wall of the furnace and in- .clinedfrom a point near the top of the fuel combination, having an inletopening for the gaseous fuel in the front wall there- 25 of, a bridgewa1l,'a wall spaced from an inside wall of the furnace and inclined froma point near the top of the bridge wall to a point of the front wallbelow the aforesaid opening in the latter, a support for-asplid.

fuel fire in'said space between an inside wall of the furnace and theinclined wall thereand a blower for projecting the gases .low theaforesai support for a solid fuel fire in said space from the opening inthe front wall to the I inclined wall to be deflected by the latter so 4as to mix wi fire on the support, the bridge wall having,

therein an air supply passage which opens int?1 the furnace at the topof the vbridge W3 8. A furnace forburning gaseous and and solid fuel incombination, having an inlet opening for the gaseous fuel in the frontthe gases from the solid fuel;

wall thereof, a bridge wall, a wall spaced from an inside wall of thefurnace and inclined from a point near the top of the bridge Wall to apoint of the front wall beopening' in the latter, a

between an inside Wall of the furnace and the inclined Wall therein, agas conduit leading to the'openin in the front wall, means whereby airmay e admitted to the fire box at said opening, and a steam blower forprojecting the gases and air from the opening in the front wall to theinclined wallto be deflected by the'latter and mixed with thesteam'fromthe blower and with the gases from the solid fuel fire on the support.

Signed by me at Birmingham, Ala., this 9 day of February, 1906. HENRYEDWIN PARSON.

Witnesses:

' RUTH S. PA'rmoK,

Gus GRACE.

